Maritime Books

Maritime Books

A Submariner's Tale

'Chas Cooke' A true voice of 'submarining' in the 70s and 80s. Ex POTI Chas Cooke tells the story of his life in the Royal Navy but concentrates his tale on life in boats. He writes with verve and relish, including details of ‘how it was’ that some might, perhaps, leave unsaid when describing their underwater experiences. The humour, the dark side and the operational side are all here – but it is humour that predominates. The author obviously enjoyed, almost, every moment of his submarine career and is rightly proud to have served as a Royal Navy submariner.

If you were there – this will remind you, if you want to let your friends and family read about life in a cramped black tube underwater this will give them the facts – and the laughs.

The Sea Devils

'Mark Fenton' The book is about the actions of the X-craft Submarines in the Far East at the end of WW2

One of the Veteran Heroes in the book is Mr. Adam Bergius who is still alive and well, and a Member of our West of Scotland Branch. ( his story was also featured in one of the previous Association Diaries) Adam has been very instrumental in the supply of information and facts to Mr. Felton. Material has also been supplied by the Branch to complete the book and been referenced several times. I received one of the first copies of the book and enjoyed reading it very much.

Before Enigma

'David Boyle' - Crowd Funding Project The Room 40 Codebreakers of the First World War

How did the British codebreakers succeed in cracking the apparently unbreakable Enigma code during the Second World War? Was it their gifted amateurism? The brilliance of Alan Turing? The invention of the very first computers? Or the pioneering work of Polish cryptographers? It was all of the above. But there is one other crucial factor, which is much less well known. The same team had done it before.

Owners Workshop Manual - HMS Alliance (1945 - 1973)

'Peter Goodwin'

An ex submariner Tiffy in Submariners Association (Portsmouth Branch) I have been a researcher and published author for quite a number years most subjects being naval history with a bent towards the more technical aspects and construction. Outside the submarine world I did spend 20 years in the post of Keeper and Curator of HMS Victory.

My recent publication relating to A class submarine Alliance may be of particular interest and would appreciate it being advertised in your newsletter. Published under the well known Haynes Manuals title it the book is titled;

Royal Navy Submarine 1945 - 1973 A Class HMS Alliance Owners' Work shop Manual: an insight into the design, construction, operation and restoration of a Cold War diesel-electric submarine. RRP. 22.99

Should you need further details from Haynes please contact my editor Jonathan Falconer Also of interest: - Haynes have also published a similar book on the MK VII c U Boat

Twixt the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

'Janet Kinrade Dethick, & Anne M. Corke'

During her distinguished career, submarine HMS Saracen was responsible for sinking thousands of tons of Axis shipping. But in August 1943 her luck ran out when she was mortally wounded by depth charges from two Italian corvettes, the last Allied submarine to be sunk by the Italians. Forced to surface, she was scuttled by her crew who were taken prisoner. But HMS Saracen's story is more than the story of a submarine. It is the story of her crew and their experiences both before and after her loss. From the cat and mouse games of war at sea to their harrowing escape from their stricken ship, from being sent to Dachau to finding themselves on a POW train bombed by the Americans, from being shot by the Germans to being assisted by the Rome Escape Line, from being sheltered by Italian families to joining the partisans, their stories of escape, of flight, of capture, are as varied as the men themselves.

Submariners & Fort Blockhouse

'Keith Hall' a Member of the West of Scotland Branch of the Submariners Association To Contact Keith email:

A history of submariners. The Senior Service has, for a hundred years, had submarines. Originally thought to be Un-English, submarines helped us win two World Wars and have played a great part in Britain's nuclear deterrent for the past thirty years. £11.15 on Kindle or £11.87 Paperback

Until recently Fort Blockhouse or HMS DOLPHIN provide a spiritual ad physical home for the Royal Navy’s Submarine Service. This short article details the Forts long history. £0.00 Kindle Unlimited or £1.30 Paperback.

For a further 13 books by 'Keith Hall', Please take a look at the Amazon Book link below:

Centenary Canada's Submarines

'Julie Ferguson'

On the Centenary of Canada's Submarine Service, MMBC is proud to present a lecture and book signing by Julie H. Ferguson, one of the country's most respected authorities on Canadian submarine history 28 Bastion Square, Victoria BC, V8W 1H Phone: 250-385-4222 ext. 112

Terror on the Alert

‘Terror on the Alert’ (Touchwood Editions, £10.54, paperback). It is available on Amazon in Paper Back and Kindle form and no doubt the Submarine Museum shop will be stocking it in due course.

is a Cold War thriller set at the height of tensions between the West and the Soviet Union during the Cuban Missile Crisis of late 1962.

Written by Canadian retired submarine officer Robert W. Mackay, the novel takes us aboard the A Class diesel boat HMCS Alert. Her mission is to seek out and shadow Russian submarines and be prepared to destroy them if necessary.

Without doubt Mackay exhibits a compelling writing style and brings his experience as a submariner to bear with great effect. The way he conveys the deadly game of hunter versus hunted under water oozes suspense and is totally believable. However, events between 'our hero' and the XO, stretch credibility too far. The rest of the story, particularly Alert's encounter with her nemesis, makes for a really good ride and delivers thrills aplenty.

Cold War Command

'Cold War Command'

Submarine related book written by Dan Conley and Richard Woodman, The part played in the Cold War by the Royal Navy's submarines still retains a great degree of mystery and, in the traditions of the 'Silent Service,' remains largely shrouded in secrecy. Cold War Command brings us as close as is possible to the realities of commanding nuclear hunter-killer submarines, routinely tasked to hunt out and covertly follow Soviet submarines in order to destroy them should there be any outbreak of hostilities.

This gripping read takes you onboard a nuclear submarine and into the depths of the ocean, and relays the excitement and apprehensions experienced by British submariners confronted by a massive Soviet Navy Through Amazon. Even better it can be bought by telephone order from the Submarine Museum Shop, 02392 510354 Ext 241, all profits going to the museum. www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/latestreleases/18

Sea Devils

Submarine Book entitled 'SEA DEVILS'

Sea Devils is a compelling account of pioneer submariners and their astonishing underwater contraptions. Some made perilous voyages. Others sank like stones. Craft were propelled by muscle-power or had steam engines with chimneys.

Sea Devils brims with daring characters and their unflinching determination to make hazardous underwater voyages: an immensely readable, entertaining and authoritative chronicle of low cunning, high politics, wondrous heroism and appalling tragedy.

Available in Hardback from Amazon priced £18.99 Also available from Amazon as a download for Kindle priced at £16.30

32 Years Man & Buoy

32 Years Man & Buoy Ian Atkinson

In the summer of 1978, a naive young man left school with a few mediocre qualifications, no real ambition, absolutely no idea what he was going to do next, and a job in the Royal Navy wasn't even on the radar. As for his knowledge of the Navy, the author had only seen a TV series called 'Warship'. Just how hard could it be?

Serving on frigates, destroyers and submarines throughout his long career, Ian Atkinson had a lot of laughs and shed a lot of tears through times that were good, bad and sometimes downright ugly. Nobody ever said it would be plain sailing.

Available in paperback from Amazon ISBN 978-1-17840704-1-0 priced £8.99 Also available from Amazon as a download for Kindle priced at £6.17

Hunter Killers

by Iain Ballantyne

Published in hardback by Orion on 12th September 2013 Priced £16 (FROM THE MUSEUM SHOP SEE LINK BELOW)

In this new book, Iain Ballantyne tells the dramatic story of life beneath the waves in the Royal Navy’s most secret service for the very first time. Through interviews with four Cold War submarine captains, and some of the men who served with them, they speak out about their covert lives and exploits that have, until now, been consigned to the shadows. Their experiences encompass the span of the Cold War, including voyages in WW2-era submarines under Arctic ice, nuclear-powered espionage missions in Soviet-dominated seas and dangerous encounters with Russian spy ships in UK waters. This is a gripping real-life Cold War thriller.

Tim Hale, Rob Forsyth, Doug Littlejohns, Dan Conley and Pitt.k and others have all been involved with contributions to the author, Iain Ballantyne, for this book which has also used the museum archives. The publisher has given the museum a good discount and they are selling it below list price. It is in the museum shop now and will be listed as one of their books available via the online shop this coming week. Purchasing it from there would of course be a very valuable contribution to museum funds. Please go to the Museum on the below Link. Thank You

Being Silent they Speak

His Majesty’s Submarine Unbeaten was last heard from via a signal sent to Flag Officer Submarines on 1 November 1942. The signal simply stated: ‘Operation Bluestone completed’. After this date the 58-metre British U-Class submarine inexplicably disappeared. Unbeaten was fully operational for just over two years. During her short tenure she successfully returned to war-torn Malta many times, symbolically flying her Jolly Roger.

Being Silent They Speak endeavours to highlight the varied triumphs, tragedies, events and sacrifices of submarine life during World War Two. This meticulously researched true story follows Unbeaten through her build at Vickers of Barrow, her war deployment to Malta and back, and then on to the submarine’s final departure from Holy Loch. The crew of Unbeaten were the last to see the legendary British submarine HMS/M Upholder before her Commanding Officer Lt. David Wanklyn VC and his indomitable crew also disappeared forever. Several submarines have had books written about them. Unbeaten’s activities were no less daring than those of Upholder or any other submarine taking part in World War Two. Exactly 70 years on, this compelling and revealing book encompasses all of Unbeaten’s war patrols and expands on her final clandestine tasking in November 1942.

The account of this secret operation, concludes with an extreme twist of fate, which could leave the final chapter open forever and the last crew of Unbeaten still on patrol. Admiral Sir James Perowne KBE writes about Being Silent They Speak...'All this has been painstakingly researched by the author who has done a magnificent job in putting her exploits together not only in a readable way but also capturing the highs and lows, the exhilaration and the terror of these dangerous and demanding patrols'.

About the Author David J.B. Smith is a military author and naval researcher with a specific interest in the Royal Navy of World War Two. A month after his first book 'Being Silent They Speak: The Story of a Submarine' was published it marched straight to No1 in the Amazon.co.uk World War Two genre as a Kindle eBook. Joining the Senior Service as a RADAR operator at the age of 17 years, David went on to enjoy a full and varied 23-year Royal Navy career. David retired from service life as a Chief Petty Officer (Seaman), and now lives and writes non-fiction military books in a quiet quayside village in Devon, England.

Kindle £1.75 Paperback: £5.20p

Wingfield at War

VOL. I of The British Navy at War and Peace Series editor Captain Peter Hore Wingfield at War

Mervyn Wingfield

Captain Mervyn Wingfield was one of the last of his generation of submariners who made their reputation in the Second World War. Pre-war he had served on the China station and lived the riotous life of a young officer; in the war he commanded three submarines, Umpire, Sturgeon and Taurus, survived a collision in the North Sea, spent a winter in the Arctic, penetrated the Norwegian fjords submerged through a minefield, surfaced off St Nazaire in view of German guns to act as a navigation marker for the raiding force, fought cavalry in the northern Aegean, and later, off Penang, was the first British submariner to sink a Japanese submarine and barely survived the subsequent, vicious counter-attack after Taurus was severely damaged and became stuck in the mud at the bottom. Any one of these incidents would have merited a place for Wingfield in the history of naval warfare and the pantheon of submarine heroes.

Jackspeak

Maritime Books, Lodge Hill, Liskeard PL14 4EL JACKSPEAK

Is there anyone out there that hasn't got a copy of Rick Jolly's much acclaimed book JACKSPEAK? It has been a huge best seller for him (and us!) but all good things have to come to an end at some stage. Its a hilarious reference guide to the vivid and colourful slang and usage of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines. Completely cross-referenced, and includes the terms and words unique to the Fleet Air Arm and Submarine Service as well.

Over 500 pages and well illustrated by the famous naval cartoonist-Tugg. How to get a copy....Ring Maritime Books (01579 343663 ) with your credit card......order from their web site at:www.navybooks.com...or via your local bookshop

Secret Fleets

'Freemantle's Secret Fleets' Allied submarines based in Western Australia during World War II, also 'Lynne Cairns' 'Secret Fleets' and now 'Secret Fleets' (2nd Edition)

he 2nd edition, has more info/detail, to a book of the same name that she published in 1995, about the operations of USN, Dutch & RN SM's from Fremantle

Both these editions are available from the WA Maritime Museum many of the local WW2 SM Veterans (RN, USN & Dutch), assisted with the first version & are mentioned in that book; Secret Fleets can be purchased online atwww.museum.wa.gov.au

NavyBooks, formerly, ‘Maritime Books’, was established in 1979 and in October 2015 Ian Whitehouse, a former submariner, took over the business which now trades as ‘NavyBooks’. We are specialist publishers of books and magazines on the Royal Navy and also stock a vast range of books-on naval and maritime subjects related to navies across the world. If you are a Submariner/ ex-Submariners please contact Ian Whitehouse on any of the links above before your purchase.

Navy Blue ´Navy Blue´ stocks a wide selection of maritime books with special attention paid to the Royal Navy past and present. The Merchant Navy is not forgotten and we stock some titles which may be difficult to find elsewhere. Situated in the naval town of Dartmouth we also stock a range of books produced by the Dartmouth History Research Group. Contact the Royal Navy Museum Shop: http://shop.nmrn.org.uk'

The Bosun's Book Shop Naval enthusiasts now have a wealth of information at their fingertips, courtesy of the Royal Naval Museum in Portsmouth. With its stock of more than 1000 titles, the Bosun's Bookshop is now one of Britain's largest specialist maritime bookshops. Titles cover the history of the Royal Navy, shipbuilding, biographies, an extensive collection on the Second World War, and the social and personnel aspects of naval history.

www.ft.com/cms/s/2/995688de-9c16-11e0-bef9-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1QJfv1WNb British WW2 submariners will be published on 7 July 2011 as Sea Wolves: the Extraordinary story of Britain's WW2 submarines by Little, Brown. It might be of interest to some of your members and I hope it provides some sort of tribute to the service. I have very much enjoyed working on it. Tim Clayton

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About our Association

The Submariners Association is an Association of ex and serving Submariners which seeks to maintain the special bonds of friendship, loyalty and comradeship, together with a pride in the Submarine Service, formed during service in Her Majesty's Submarines.

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Please check the Obituary & Funeral pages for Comrades of the Association who have sadly 'Crossed the Bar'.

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